


All Against Me

by TMar



Category: Star Trek: The Next Generation
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-11
Updated: 2018-11-11
Packaged: 2019-08-22 04:11:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16590614
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TMar/pseuds/TMar
Summary: Some members of an away team start to act paranoid. Doctor Crusher's symptoms are worse than the others.





	All Against Me

**Author's Note:**

> This appeared in "Naked Now Two" in 1992.

ALL AGAINST ME

Captain Jean-Luc Picard looked critically at his painting. It was the third one he'd done since the Away Team had beamed down to Qotyh 4. He had decided to take some time out from his usual relaxation schedule of playing Dixon Hill, and instead work on his painting. It still stung his pride that Data's criticism of his work had been so... blunt. An unsuccessful mishmash of style, indeed! Picard had been trying to develop his own unique style, which Data had unemotionally quashed and obviously not comprehended. He wondered what Data would think of his latest efforts. Actually, he wondered if he should show them to Data at all...

Data was on the bridge correlating incoming information from the scientific Away Team which had been sent down. Usually he'd go too, but because the planet had such unusual magnetic readings, they'd decided not to chance it. Wesley Crusher, as his protege, was taking the readings Data wanted.

Qotyh was an unusual planet in that its magnetic fields were a lot stronger than usually found on Class M planets of this size, and they fluctuated in a way which did not indicate any set pattern. Data found it fascinating.

Beverly Crusher was also on the Away Team because it had some plants hitherto unknown in the Federation, and she was at present trying to find some plants which could provide symptomatic relief of Sakuro's Disease. They had long ago found a way to avoid fatalities with this rare ailment, but the symptoms were very bad. Crusher had chosen this unusual project, almost as a hobby, due to the prompting of a friend back at Starfleet Medical.

The rest of the team was made up of Riker as well as Worf, just to make sure that things went smoothly, not that they expected trouble. All the work was actually being done by Wesley (and Data), and the ship's geologist, Sam Coleman. He was to take readings of the planet's core, in case that had something to do with the fluctuations in the planet's magnetic field.

Picard had been worried about sending people at first, not only because the magnetic field was so unpredictable, but also because the planet was being bombarded by Beckett Rays, a recent discovery. They were so similar to Berthold Rays that scientists had at first confused the two and thought they were the same type of ray. Recent discoveries, by Dr. Beckett, had proved them wrong. Beckett Rays were, in a sense, a lot safer than Berthold Rays, because they were not as intense and one could suffer exposure to them for over a week before radiation poisoning set in. The team had been allowed only five hours to take readings, since they were required to be at a rendezvous point in three days, and it would take that long at Warp 5 to get there. The team was making good time, and everything was going smoothly.

Picard stepped back to look at his fifth painting. He had done some very small ones, in order to practice his skill on a variety of subjects. He wondered what Data would think... and realised that he was only doing it because Data had criticised him in the first place! If that was the case, Data must see his paintings. The captain was about to call Data and tell him this when the comm panel chimed. "Data to Captain Picard."

"Yes, Mr. Data?"

"Sir, the Away Team is returning. Would you like their report now?"

Picard decided to get it over with. "All right, Mr. Data. Half an hour in the Observation Lounge."

There was nothing unusual to report. They had found slightly unstable core readings which could possibly explain the magnetic fluctuations, but they would need to run more scans and examine their data more carefully. They would have three days to do this before the Enterprise reached Starbase 177. Picard was more interested in the  
Beckett Rays. "Are you certain the crew will be all right?" he asked Doctor Crusher.

"Yes, Captain. Beckett Rays are not harmful to humanoids unless one is exposed to them for a very long period."

"Could they be harmful in other ways?"

"They are such a recent discovery," put in Data, "that we cannot be sure. I would theorise that they are not harmful, based on the evidence."

"Well, then." Picard got up, pulled his jacket straight. "It seems we have completed a successful mission. Thank you."

Everyone left, except Beverly Crusher. "Tea, Captain?"

"Thank you, Doctor. That would be nice."

They filed off to Ten Forward to have some tea.

***

Picard leaned forward, taking an interest in his chief medical officer's hobby. "You think this algae that you've found will do the trick?"

"Yes. It contains just the right kind of chlorophyll which my friend at Starfleet said should provide relief of the symptoms."

"How much testing will you have to do?"

"Not much..." mused Beverly. "You see, algae aren't really harmful, so they won't kill even if they don't cure."

"Well," said Picard, picking up his glass of synthehol, "here's to it working, and working well!" He smiled at her.

"Thanks," said the doctor shyly. Praise from Picard was rare, and to be enjoyed. Their tea - which had turned into dinner - went very well, so well, in fact, that Picard thought he'd ask her to dinner the next day. He went into Sickbay early, just in case she made some plans later.

His Chief Medical Officer was arguing with her nurse. He could hear it all the way down the corridor, which was very unusual for Beverly Crusher. “What do you mean, you didn't think those tests should be done yet? Who's the doctor around here?!"

The nurse was calmly explaining herself. "Doctor, you said that I must do the tests when the indicator was yellow. It's not yellow yet, and you said..."

"I told you to do them."

"But you said..."

"Now!" yelled Beverly, "or I'll think there's more going on here!"

Cringing from this unexpected attack, the nurse went to do them, and had to pass Picard on her way out. "Nurse..."

"Yes, Captain?"

"What was that all about?"

"The doctor contradicted herself by telling me to do some tests she had told me NOT to do. But she must be right, she knows more than me." And the nurse scurried off.

Picard didn't think it wise to say anything to Beverly at that point, but she did agree to have dinner with him in Ten Forward that night. "I'll come to your quarters to fetch you," he told her.

"I'll be waiting," she replied, but Picard thought he heard a slight edge of hysteria in her voice.

He heard it again that night when he went to pick Beverly up for their dinner, er, appointment. She was arguing with Wesley about something trivial, and Wesley was arguing back just as forcefully. To Picard, it seemed that their topic of argument wasn't worth all the noise he heard emanating from Beverly's quarters.  
"  
I'll do what I want, Mom!" yelled Wesley. 

"You will do what I tell you!" Beverly shouted back. 

"You weren't here for an entire year, and I did fine! I don't need you!"

Picard couldn't let that pass. He barged in and said sternly, "Wesley!"

"Oh, take her side, you always do!" And Wesley ran out, startling Picard, who had never been yelled at by the young ensign before.

He went over to Beverly. "What's going on, Doctor?"

She was breathing hard, as if her anger had been really intense. "I feel... as if everyone is against me. I don't know why, it's just... why are you asking me this?" Her eyes narrowed in suspicion, and Picard began to worry about her. He distracted her by

taking her arm and saying, "Come, let's go to dinner."

Dinner was uneventful, as was most of the next day. Picard was in his ready room when Deanna came to see him. "Captain, I just had the strangest conversation with Wesley. I found him shouting at Commander Data, saying something about Data being untrustworthy! I've never heard him like that before. And when I asked him about it, he seemed to want to shift his feelings onto me."

"What exactly was he feeling?"

"Some kind of displaced anger, and paranoia. But I can't feel any basis for it, it's just... there."

"Doctor Crusher was acting in a similar way yesterday. I wonder if these are related?"

Deanna inclined her head in a way which meant that she was inclined to agree but wanted to be cautious. "I'll talk to her, Captain. I am concerned... Wesley isn't usually like that."

When Deanna went out, Picard thought about it again. Both mother and son had been acting a little too angry for his liking. "Mister Data."

Data came in. "Yes, Captain?"

"I want you to scan the algae which Doctor Crusher brought back from the planet. See if it contains anything that could affect humans in any way."

"Specifics, Sir?"

"I'm not sure, Data. Just look out for anything unusual... Oh, and Mister Data?" 

Data had started to leave. He turned around. "Sir?"

"Be discreet about it."

"Understood, Sir."

Later Data reported back with the news that there was nothing whatsoever in the algae which could have any harmful effect on humans. "In fact, Sir, my tests indicate that it might have a therapeutic effect on humans suffering from Sakuro's Disease."

'Then what could it be?' wondered the captain. It was starting to worry him. He didn't want to offend his chief medical officer until he could point to something specific; something that would explain the odd behaviour. 

Picard continued to worry, and Beverly continued to act paranoid, until Deanna came to him. Sam Coleman had come to her with a similar worry. "He says that he's starting to worry about stupid things, and shout at his team for no reason. I talked to them, and they all feel it."

"But Mister Coleman was the only one who went down to the planet. I thought that perhaps something down there had affected them."

"Exactly," agreed Troi. "And Ensign Davies, who is in Mr. Coleman's team, came to me complaining of the same thing."

Picard knew Davies - confident, well spoken, but not inclined to look for things that were not there. "What do you sense from them?"

The Counselor answered as she had before, when asked about Beverly. "Illogical fear and paranoia, which results in anger, and those outbursts they have had."

"Has anyone else shown symptoms of whatever this is?"

"No, Sir."

"All right. Counselor. Ask Doctor Selar to run tests on all those who have shown symptoms."

Wesley, who was at school when the call came, showed nothing wrong. He had finished loading his tricorder information into the computer, and had correlated it with Data; presently he had school work to catch up. That argument with his mother and outburst at Data hadn't been repeated, and he felt fine. Deanna no longer felt the illogical feelings from him.

Sam Coleman and his team showed nothing wrong, but Deanna said the feelings had not gone away. They were still arguing about their work, and seemed generally angry at the galaxy.

Beverly continued to act irrationally, but Selar could find nothing wrong.

"Could aliens be causing this?" asked Worf when consulted.

"There's no indication of that."

"Viruses? Bacteria?"

"None show up on the bioscanner."

"Radiation?"

"None that we can scan... but there are still many forms of radiation that we don't know about."

Selar and Data were convinced that the Beckett Rays were not responsible.

Picard did not agree to Worf's suggestion that all those affected should be confined to their quarters; instead he made sure that his Counselor remained in their vicinity in order to warn anyone if they did anything that could be considered threatening. And after two days Deanna came to him with some news. 

"Captain, it would appear that Sam and his team are no longer experiencing the feelings of paranoia. But Doctor Crusher... she only seems to experience those same feelings during the day. At night they go away."

"Are you sure?"

"1 can't think what could be causing it, but yes, I'm certain." Deanna sounded slightly miffed that he'd ask if she was sure.

"Perhaps we could ask everyone who has experienced the symptoms to describe their activities since they came from the planet," suggested Riker.

"Make it so," said Picard.

Wesley had immediately brought his tricorder to the bridge where he had loaded the information into the computer as a backup to that which Data had already received from the planet. Then he had stowed the tricorder and helped Data correlate the information.

Sam Coleman and team had used the tricorder as an auxilliary device to measure the planet's core and magnetics. When they had finished with that, they had gone on to a detailed graphic representation of Qotyh for Starfleet records.

Beverly had brought her algae back and gone straight back to work, as usual.

No one could think of a common factor.... until Barclay heard Wesley telling Geordi about all the fuss when he was helping out in Engineering. "What is it, do they think?" Geordi wanted to know.

"I don't know, that's the thing. No one knows," he added. "They asked us what we'd done since coming from the planet. All I did was load the information from the tricorder and correlate it with Data."

Barclay came up behind him. "Say that again." 

"I loaded the information from the tricorder and correlated it with Data."

"And the others?"

"They must have done the same."

Barclay's interest was clear. He spoke clearly, having something on his mind. "You mean they used their tricorders when checking the information received by the Away Team on the planet?"

"It's standard procedure," replied Wesley.

"Reg... got any ideas?"

"Well... yes. Do you remember a scientist by the name of Vladiz Hujehk?"

"You didn't read up his stuff did you, Reg?" asked LaForge. "All his work was discredited as unethical, and most of it was false anyway!"

"Yes, yes," admitted Barclay. "But I always... you know I like to do things a little differently." At their nod he went on. "He had studied Beckett and Berthold Rays for years. I seem to remember... one of his points was that Beckett Radiation has an unusual effect on certain delicate machinery... like the tricorder."

"What?" asked Wesley.

Gaining confidence now that they were listening to him, Barclay warmed to his topic. "Hujehk said that it warped certain tricorder components, changing their composition slightly, so that they ended up working all right but giving out a strange form of Beckett Rays."

"Are you saying that Doctor Crusher is suffering from a kind of radiation poisoning?"

"It could be."

"It fits, Geordi," broke in Wesley. "I also had the symptoms, but as soon as I had stowed my tricorder, they went away. I'm sure Sam's team must have experienced the symptoms until they stowed theirs, too."

"Then why, Wes, is your mother still experiencing symptoms?"

"Because!" Wesley was now excited. "She keeps her medical tricorder with her all the time! Don't you see? She keeps it in the pocket of her jacket, and she wears that thing all the time. That's why those symptoms went away at night. Counselor Troi said they did."

"I'll inform the captain," said Geordi, and went off to do so.

Wesley heaved a sigh of relief, and thanked Barclay.

Data checked both Wesley and Coleman's tricorders after calibrating the sensors to the narrow band of Berthold and Beckett radiation, and there it was: they were giving off low-level Beckett Rays. "Well, done, Mister Barclay, Mister Crusher." He turned to his security chief. "Mister Worf, will you go and collect Doctor Crusher's medical tricorder as well, please."

He sent Worf because Worf was one of the few people on board who could still stand up to Beverly's increasing hysteria.

As Worf entered Sickbay, he saw Beverly working with the tricorder at her desk. "Doctor..." he began, but before he could say anything more, she jumped up and screamed, "Get out! I know what you're trying to do!"

"Doctor, you must give me your tricorder."

"You Klingons want to take over, but you won't! You won't!"

Worf walked forward, intending to manhandle the thing away from her if necessary. But Beverly was fast: she rushed to the cabinet and picked up a hypospray, filling it with goodness-knows-what. "Stay away!" she shouted. "Or I'll inject myself! I mean it!" She held the hypo against her arm.

"Worf to Captain Picard."

"Yes, Mr. Worf?"

"Doctor Crusher is proving difficult. She is threatening to commit suicide unless I stay away from her."

"Did she give you the tricorder?"

"Negative, Sir.”

"I'll be right down.

Picard, Troi, Data and Wesley rushed into Sickbay reception, one behind the other. Beverly stood against the far diagnostic bed, the hypospray still poised against her arm. Worf strode over and, in a whisper, briefed them on the situation. "Counselor," said Picard, indicating that this was Deanna's field of expertise.

Deanna walked closer to the distraught doctor. "Beverly, we're here to help you."

"No, you're not!" shrieked Crusher. "You're all helping the Klingons to take over!"

"The Klingons are our friends now." Deanna was using her most persuasive tone. "I'm your friend."

"You're not my friend! You're helping THEM!" And she indicated Picard, Wesley, Data and Worf. "If you all don't get out, I'll inject myself with this. I will!" Beverly held the hypo even closer to her arm.

Knowing that her skills were useless with this one, Deanna walked back into the reception. "She's irrational, Captain. She won't listen to me."

Worf said, "We could stun her."

"I would not recommend that course of action," responded Data. "Doctor Crusher might fall in such a way that she injects herself."

"Wesley..." began Picard, but Wesley interrupted, something he didn't normally do. "No, Captain... excuse me, Sir. I don't think she'll listen to me. I'm her son, she'll try to get me to help her, then she'll accuse me of helping you."

"What would you suggest, Mr. Crusher?"

"You go talk to her."

"Me!" Picard was really surprised to hear this.

"She respects you, and she's known you the longest. Sir," said Wesley uncertainly.

Picard pulled down his jacket. "Very well," and he walked into the main Sickbay area.

The irrational doctor still stood in the same position. "Beverly!" called the captain.

"Get out, get out!"

"Not until you put that down and listen to me."

"I won't listen to you, you're helping THEM!"

"Them who?" Picard wanted to know.

"Out there, them, the Klingons, the Ferengi, all of them."

"Beverly, look at me." He waited until she did before continuing. "Do you really think that I, Jean-Luc Picard, Captain of the Enterprise, would be in cahoots with the Klingons or the Ferengi?"

Beverly's resolve started to weaken. "I..." Yhen her eyes cleared for a split second. "Jean-Luc?"

"Give me the hypospray."

"No!"

Picard came forward. "Give it to me."

She tossed it down and rushed forward, pummeling Picard with her fists. "No, no, no! You're all against me, I know!"

Picard endeavoured to hold her still. His hands grasped her shoulders, but she tried to get loose, her face turning every which way but towards him.

"Beverly!"

And suddenly Beverly did look at him, really look. Before Picard could do anything, she kissed him. Part of him enjoyed the sensation of - finally - kissing the doctor, but the other part said, "What a perfect opportunity." It was - to get the tricorder away from her. 

Picard deepened the kiss, drawing Beverly close. His hands slid down her jacket until one of them encountered a pocket containing a medical tricorder. Ever so carefully, Picard pulled it out and put it on the diagnostic bed behind them. The kiss ended, and Beverly looked at him. "Jean-Luc, I'm tired."

"You need rest."

And with that, he picked her up and walked into the corridor, ignoring the stares from passersby. Troi, Wesley and Worf followed at a discreet distance while Picard went to the doctor's quarters, and placed her gently on the bed. "Get the nurse to bring a sedative," he whispered to Troi. Then he realised that Beverly was still wearing her medical jacket. "...and get rid of that damn jacket. Wearing it constantly caused all this trouble!" he added before leaving. Beverly looked much the worse for wear, and he didn't think she'd be a danger to herself now.

Back in Sickbay, Data and Barclay were examining the tricorder. "Beckett Rays, Sir. They've warped the actual alloys in the components, making it give out that unusual radiation.

"And that is what was affecting the doctor and the geology team," put in Selar.

"Can they be fixed?" asked Picard.

"Wouldn't recommend it, Captain. Doubt we could, anyway. My recommendation is that we destroy them."

"How?"

"Beam them down, and abort the process in mid-transport."

"Leave them in non-existence?"

"In my opinion, Sir, it's the safest way."

"Make it so. And Mister Barclay..."

Barclay turned at the door. "Sir?"

"You will write up the effects of Beckett Rays on the tricorder and possibly other equipment for Starfleet Command. By next week."

Reg gulped. Picard had strange ways of thanking a person. "Yes, Sir," he said.

The sedation which the nurse had given Beverly lasted until the next day, when Picard received a strange call on the bridge. "Captain..."

"Yes, Doctor?"

"I need to see you. Now. In my quarters."

Picard raised an eyebrow at Will Riker, who shrugged, but looked hopeful. At his captain's 'don't-you-dare' look he assumed his First-Officer-Ready-For-Anything stance.

As he stood, Data - who'd been waiting for an opportunity clarify something he'd seen - asked: "Sir, I noticed that Doctor Crusher was acting in a very irrational manner when she kissed you... but why did you kiss her back?"

This was news to the bridge crew and they all turned towards Picard... waiting.

Picard cleared his throat. "It was the only way I could get the tricorder out of her jacket pocket."

"Ah," said Data, not really understanding.

Riker was regarding Picard with a glint in his eye when Picard turned to him. "You have the bridge, Number One," and he walked into theturbolift.

It let him out near Beverly Crusher's quarters. He went in, expecting just about anything.

"Jean-Luc." She was standing at a table on which two champagne glasses resided. She handed him one. He took it, feeling ill at ease. "I wanted to say thank you for saving my life."

Picard put the champagne down and tried being all business. "You have been briefed about what happened?"

She nodded. "Deanna told me. I wanted to apologise for all that. Now...” She ran a hand through her hair. "It seems like a bad dream. Sorry I hit you." Picard started to say that it was all right. "... and sorry I kissed you."

"It's all right, Beverly. If you hadn't been so irrational, I might have enjoyed it."

This brought a smile to her face. "Want to try it again, Jean-Luc?"

Picard smiled, and looked at her with an expression Beverly had only ever seen once before... "Yes, I do."

He walked forward, and this time HE kissed HER.

THE END


End file.
